


The Boys of Summer

by mrsgrumpygills



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Baseball, Family, Friendship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-16 08:14:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4618047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrsgrumpygills/pseuds/mrsgrumpygills
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For some, that summer was about just making it through. For others, it was a chance to shine. Little did Roxas know that taking a job at the local Minor League Baseball stadium would change his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story over five years ago ('revised' it a few months afterward) and it's always held a special place in my heart. Reading back on it made me cringe, though, and I feel like I can do better (hopefully, I've improved at least a little over the years) so I decided to rewrite it. I'm not the greatest writer, and I never will be. I'm simply doing this for fun, because I love these characters, I love baseball and I feel like I have a story to tell. If even one other person enjoys it, then I consider that an accomplishment.

The day began like any other. I was awoken from a peaceful slumber by the raucous sound of two distinct, but equally obnoxious alarms. Reaching beneath my pillow, I pressed the snooze button on one before grabbing my cellphone from the bedside table and shutting it off without a glance. My sheets had somehow wrapped around my feet during the night, and I kicked them off, rolling out of bed almost robotically. Snatching a pair of khaki pants from where they lay crumpled on the floor, I slipped them on before stumbling down the hallway to the laundry room, where most of my clothes were haphazardly strewn across the washer, the floor and hanging out of the laundry basket on the dryer. I rummaged around for a bright orange uniform shirt and pulled it over my bare chest despite the fact that it hadn't been washed in days.

Shuffling towards the kitchen and rubbing the last remnants of sleep from my eyes, I grabbed an orange visor hanging off the back of the sofa and secured it atop my head. Skipping breakfast, I headed straight for the front door, pocketed my phone and apartment keys and left. The bus was set to arrive at the corner stop any moment, and since my brother had taken a rare day off, I had no choice but to catch it. I might've tried asking Haynor or Pence, or hell, even Olette for a ride had we spoken more than a few words to each other since graduation. But we hadn't, and I couldn't find it in myself to make any effort to salvage whatever was left of our nearly life-long friendships.

The bus came to a lurching halt just a few blocks short of the baseball field. I hopped off and began to traverse the sleepy streets of Twilight Town, shoes scuffling across pavement below. Cicadas buzzed to life and the occasional car rushed by as the rest of the city began to rise. A hollow feeling swirled in the deepest pits of my stomach that I didn't have much time to dwell on because, damn, it was hot. Wiping beads of sweat from my forehead with the back of a hand, I pressed on.

The clock upon the wall read nine twenty-five AM as I hopped over the counter of the concession stand, uniform shirt clinging to my body with sweat. I was early, which was something I'd grown accustomed to, thanks to my brother, who had an insatiable need to arrive promptly each day. Settling onto a stool off to the side, I pressed my back against the cool, cement wall and waited.

It was almost the exact schedule I'd followed every morning since summer began. My existence was one monotonous day after the other. Not one thing had changed since graduation when my Dad helped find part-time jobs for both my brother and I through an old college buddy. It wasn't only that I needed the money. I was desperate for something, anything, to pass the time, to keep busy so there wasn't a moment left to think or to feel. A baseball stadium wouldn't have been my first choice, but I didn't exactly care. It was a means to an end, and anywhere I wound up would have been just as bland and stale.

There were four of us crowded into that tiny space, like sardines in a tin can, every day the team was in town. Dealing with ungrateful customers that came in endless droves was a dauntless task in and of itself without the sweltering heat from the kitchen that engulfed the entire stand as the day wore on. The ancient television set and portable fan that rested in opposite corners were small consolations. They offered some sort of solace when days got too hectic.

After sitting on that stool for an eternity and nearly falling to the floor twice because I couldn't keep my eyes open, two girls burst through the back door, giggling and clinging to one another. Neither paid me any mind as they set about tying their aprons. After one last whisper into Kairi's ear, Naminé turned around.

"Good morning, Roxas." She looked me over and adjusted the visor atop her platinum blonde head. "How are you doing?"

I shrugged, my head lolling to the side as she shoved a wad of paper napkins into the dispenser on the counter.

Naminé was beautiful, and not just because her skin shone like porcelain, or because her eyes were the clearest shade of blue. She was kind in ways not often recognized. She cared deeply about people, about the world, about the squirrels she would feed sandwiches to in the park. It was easy to like her. She talked to me like a person, even when I didn't answer back. She acknowledged me when I faded into the background like wallpaper. She was sunshine and rainbows in my world of perpetual gray, and sometimes I hated her.

"Where's Sora?" Kairi asked, auburn locks whipping about as she craned her neck this way and that. With one final, dramatic twirl, she sent a box of plastic spoons clattering to the floor. Cursing, she bent down to pick them up.

I rolled my eyes. Kairi'd had an obvious, desperate crush on my brother for as long as I could remember. They'd met in the seventh grade, which was about the time Sora and I had begun to drift down separate paths, and had been inseparable ever since. It wasn't enough that she attended the same university and followed him back to Twilight Town each summer. No. She had to go ahead and get a job at the same place, as well. That's because as annoying as she was, Kairi took life by the balls. She had no qualms with doing whatever it took to get what she wanted. And what she wanted most was unfortunately my brother.

Sora, however, remained blind to her feelings, despite being nineteen and a year older than me and supposedly wiser. He wasn't stupid. He was just innocent, and it endeared him to people. Unlike me.

There hadn't always been such a stark difference between the two of us, but time has a way of changing things. And time despised me. Sora grew into his perfect, brunette spikes, which always did exactly what they were supposed to. My hair stayed a lopsided mess, even when I'd mustered up enough energy to care. His body had become toned and tanned from years of playing outdoor team sports, while I was more on the lanky, malnourished side. His eyes, though the same shade of blue, were inviting and warm. Mine were listless. Sora had left the year prior to attend one of the best schools in the country – Hollow Bastion University – on full scholarship where he was studying marketing. I struggled through my last few years of high school and was to attend Twilight Town Community College in the fall, with no clear career goal in mind.

I was just going through the motions, existing simply to exist, while the entire world was Sora's for the taking. He had so much to live for, to strive for, that it hurt when I thought too deeply on the subject. Everyone loved my brother, and with good reason. His mere presence could lighten up the darkest of rooms, and people yearned for him when he was gone. Life was just so damn simple for him that I doubted he even knew what it meant to feel broken or lost.

"He has the day off," I said, sitting upright on my stool and watching the minute hand on the clock tick even closer to ten. Kairi's face fell at the news, but she didn't have a chance to reply.

"The lucky bastard." A gruff voice sounded from the kitchen and I twisted around to see Xigbar prepping for the day. The man was nothing short of an enigma. His most consistent story was that he was a retired chef, but the patch over his right eye and gnarly scar that spanned the length of his left cheek told a different tale.

He was followed by a tall, intimidating man with black dreadlocks hanging down his back, who entered though the kitchen door. Xaldin was a man of few words, and that was something I could respect.

"Wish I didn't have to stick around this shithole today." Xigbar grumbled, slamming an oven door. He twisted a knob on one of the various stoves that separated the kitchen from the front of the concession stand and stepped back to allow Xaldin to line the griddle with frozen hamburger patties.

"I can't understand why he didn't tell me," Kairi said, more to herself than anyone else, as she picked up the last of the spoons and tossed them onto the counter. "We talk every night, you know. I should have been aware." She fished her cellphone out of the front pocket of her apron. Frowning, her fingers moved at lighting speed across the screen as she typed out what was, no doubt, a message to my unsuspecting brother.

We were in the Tigers' stadium so it wasn't all that surprising when, moments later, a pitiful excuse for a tiger mascot walked up to the counter and nearly collapsed. The thing had seen better days, that's for sure. The fur was knotted in places, and the once vivid orange had faded to piss yellow from years of the sun beating down upon it. The head was too large for the man inside, and I was positive they'd been using that exact same costume since the place first opened.

"Bad day?" Naminé ran a hand across the matted material, as if it might soothe the person inside. A muffled groan was the only response.

"Bad day?" Kairi sneered, gathering the spoons and shoving them into a canister. No one had bothered to even wipe them off, and I almost pitied our potential customers. "The day hasn't even begun, so you better suck it up, Zexion," she said, rearranging a couple spoons and folding her hands atop the counter.

The mascot head was removed to reveal a man with uneven lavender hair, slick with sweat and stuck to the sides of his face. He fanned himself with a fur covered paw "It's hot…as hell in this…thing," he managed to breathe out. "I need water."

Zexion was quite the introvert, preferring to spend breaks alone with a book in hand, and I thought that was probably why he chose to hide all day inside a costume. He was quiet at times, but also blunt and straightforward and the first person to tell someone exactly what they needed to hear. He was a wonderful listener, adept at understanding people's unspoken thoughts and emotions, and one of the most intelligent people I'd ever met, rivaling even Sora.

"You say this all the time." Kairi's hand crept back over to the container of plastic spoons, and she fixed them to her liking before plucking one from the bunch and waving it at Zexion. "Why don't you just quit?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know." Zexion said, tone sarcastic as he reached for the cup of water Naminé slid towards him. He lifted it between both hands, and took several gulps. "It couldn't possibly be because I need the money or anything. Some of us have tuition to pay, you know?"

"Don't bother." I finally spoke, casting a furtive glance at Kairi. She placed the spoon back in the canister, regarded her work with a furrowed brow then picked the very same one back up and found another spot for it among the bunch. "She's only here for one reason, and it's got nothing to do with working for a living."

Zexion sputtered, lowering his glass and staring wide-eyed at my spot in the corner. "I uh, sorry, Roxas. You just kinda surprised me." He glanced down at the counter where Naminé was wiping the water he'd spit out and swept a fur covered arm across the far end of the surface where she couldn't reach. "I forgot you were he-"

His words were cut short, as a blonde man of considerable height and energy barreled down the hall and slammed into him, sending Zexion, the head of his costume, and the cup he was holding straight to the floor. Movement ceased and mouths hung agape as everyone watched the last of the water splash down upon the mascots head.

"Are you guys ready for another fun-filled day of baseball?" The blonde guy, dressed in an identical orange shirt and khaki's, pumped his fist in the air.

"A little help here, Demyx," Zexion's weary voice sounded out from somewhere behind the counter and without a glance, Demyx reached down and pulled the man to his feet.

Zexion cleared his throat, running a paw through strands of wet hair. "Thanks..."

"Well, are you?" Demyx ignored the drenched mascot next to him and looked at each of us, one by one, eyes shining with genuine excitement. It remained quiet, aside from the sound of hamburgers sizzling on the griddle. "The Tigers are going to kick ass today! I can feel it in my bones."

Demyx worked up front in the ticket booth, and once everyone had gained admittance, he was free to wander around the stadium, assisting fans with whatever they may need. It was perfect for him because he was helpful, talkative to a fault and hyper as any five year old child who'd eaten all of their Halloween candy and washed it down with a bag of sugar. He could be serious when the occasion called for it, but it was rare to see Demyx without an infectious grin splitting his face.

"We don't even get to experience the game," I said, hopping off my stool. In a few short minutes the place would be filled to the brim with hungry baseball fans. "Nothing is exciting from back here."

"We have fun sometimes." Kairi's eyes drifted to the empty space between her and Naminé as she bit her lip to keep from smiling. "It's not all bad."

I wanted to hurl.

"Demyx, shouldn't you and tiger boy hurry your asses along?" Xigbar spoke above the sounds of the kitchen. "We're about to get swamped with customers, and we actually have important jobs to focus on."

"Hey!" Zexion thrust a furry paw in the cook's general direction, pouting. "I'd like to see how you do walking around in the ninety degree heat in..." He trailed off as it took him a couple tries to grab the costume head from the floor and slam it down on the counter. "This thing."

It went silent for a moment before Xigbar threw his head back and cackled. Zexion narrowed his eyes. A man dressed head to toe in a decrepit tiger costume was hardly frightening.

"He's right, anyway," Demyx said, grabbing a hold of the mascots arm and tugging him towards the exit.

Zexion let out a yelp and attempted to loosen the blonde's grip on him to no avail.

"You're simply going to ruin my costume, Demyx," he protested, and I couldn't help but snicker. That thing was already past the point of no return. Naminé nudged me in the side with her elbow, but seemed to share my amusement, if the grin hidden behind her palm was any indication.

Ignoring Zexion and sending a salute towards the concession stand Demyx shouted over his shoulder, "Catch you losers on the flip side!"

"They're so in love," Naminé sighed once the two men were out of sight, tossing an apron my way. Stunned by her words, I barely managed to grab a hold of it.

"What?"

"Tch. Oh, honey," Kairi stepped over and placed a hand on my forearm. "Are you really so blind?"

"I'm not blind!" I defended, jerking away from the girls touch, lips pursed in irritation. "It's just, Demyx...and Zexion... What?"

"Ain't he the cutest thing?" Xigbar chuckled, as he stuck something in the oven. "And almost as clueless as that brother of his," he said with a pointed look in Kairi's direction.

"It's written all over their faces," Naminé said, clasping her hands beneath her chin. "Surely you've noticed, hmm?"

Cocking her head to the side, she smiled at me before turning around to start a conversation with Kairi and Xigbar. Their voices became nothing more than background noise as I lost myself in thought. It's not so much that I cared about a potential romance blossoming between Demyx and Zexion. Although, they were about as opposite as I thought two people could be. I just hadn't seen it coming, even after weeks of skulking in the corner and silently observing my surroundings.

Though she'd never be so blunt, Naminé had said it all with her gentle words. I was kind of pathetic.

* * *

 

"Six dollars for a large soda!?"

"What do you mean you're out of nachos?"

"Three cheeseburgers and two orders of fries, Xigbar, please!"

Chaos had begun, and the overweight woman standing on the opposite side of the counter, shouting in my face, did little to improve my already sour mood.

"I apologize, ma'am," I said through gritted teeth, long since abandoning the cordial smile we were supposed to have plastered to our faces. "But I don't come up with the prices, I just peddle this slop."

"Well, you know, this is simply ridiculous," the woman said, ignoring every word spoken and putting her hands on her hips. "I've been coming here for years, and I can't believe this."

My knuckles were turning white from the tight grip I had on the counters edge, and I exhaled a deep breath. I'd been trying to reason with the woman for five continuous minutes, and nothing was penetrating that empty brain of hers "Would you like to talk to the manager?"

"What I would like is for someone to fix these absurd prices!" Her face twisted in rage, eyes bulging as she heaved a shuddering breath, and I knew only one of us was going to come out of the battle alive.

"Ma'am," I said, tone abrupt as my patience was running desperately thin. I wanted nothing more than to tell her to go screw herself, to throw my hands up and leave the bitch standing there, but I couldn't. My father had gone out of his way to secure the job for me, and besides, I'd already grown accustomed to the daily routine. I didn't enjoy it, but I needed it.

"It already costs a fortune to get in this place. It's robbery to charge five dollars for a damn pretzel, and I won't stand for it!"

She slammed a fist atop the counter, causing Naminé to start and nearly drop an order fries. The entire area fell silent, and the canister of spoons Kairi had so meticulously put together teetered along the edge of the surface before falling with an echoing clatter to the floor below. The redhead's eyes widened with what appeared to be a murderous rage as she gazed upon what had become of her hard work. Her fingers twitched at her sides, head snapping up an instant later as she focused squarely on the woman across the counter. Leaping over the scattered spoons, she leaned over the surface and let the woman have it.

"Listen up, lady." The manic grin upon her face had the woman taking a careful step back. "We aren't here to be your punching bags, and we don't want to hear your tragic life story. Now, I'm going to try to explain this to you one last time in a way you can understand. Then maybe it'll sink in, huh?"

"We," she gestured to each of us in the concession stand, enunciating slowly, "don't have any control over the prices. So you're taking your anger out on the wrong people, wasting, not only our time, but your own and all the people standing behind you who already understand this simple concept."

The woman placed a hand over her chest, taking another little step backwards. Her indignant expression had morphed into one of humiliation, and I couldn't help the smirk tugging at my lips.

"If you really want to keep moaning and complaining, I suggest you take it up with the owner, Cid. In fact..." Kairi grabbed the phone hanging from the wall, her fingers poised over the numbered buttons. "I could call right now, tell him Kairi sent you. Whaddya say?"

Deafening silence stretched across the area once again, the faint crack of a bat filtering in from the field. Then the woman spun on her heels, sprinting down the hall and out of sight. A chorus of cheers broke out that rivaled the thunderous applause happening in the stands, and Kairi took a bow. She winked at me before bending down to gather the spoons once again and, maybe for the first time, I found myself grateful for her presence.

The atmosphere calmed afterward, and minutes stretched into mind numbing hours. By the time the later innings of the game rolled around, the crowd had thinned out, and we were left with nothing to do but watch TV.

I wasn't what anyone would consider a baseball fan. Sure, I'd been to all of my brother's games during his short-lived little league career, so I knew a few of the basics, but stuff like balks and passed balls were completely lost on me. It wasn't until I began working at the stadium that I discovered how gripping the game could be, especially when faced with the task of serving endless lines of demanding customers.

"Ha! Strike three!" Naminé rocked on her heels, clapping her petite hands together in rapid succession. Her lips were turned up in a radiant smile, and she angled her head to glance back at Kairi. "He's such an amazing pitcher."

Kairi shot her friend a look. Dropping the pen she'd been using to doodle on a spare napkin, she spoke the words we all knew to be true. "You're only saying that because you're in love with him."

Naminé's cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "Am not!"

Kairi scoffed. "You totally are."

They were talking about Marluxia, number 11. He was the Tiger's best pitcher, which honestly wasn't much of a compliment. He was decent, maybe even good, but the way Naminé gushed, you'd have thought he was the next Cy Young.

"Axel's coming up," Naminé said, eyes glued to the screen, so she missed the pair of knowing glances Kairi and Xigbar exchanged.

"He's zero for three today," Xaldin commented, stuffing a leftover bag of pretzels into the freezer. "A base hit would do him well."

"Don't count on it," Xigbar replied. "That guy's useless with a bat."

"I'd like to see you get out there and try, Xiggy," Kairi said, arranging the condiment bottles by what appeared to be size.

Xigbar bristled and damn near growled at the nickname, but Kairi didn't even blink. She waved a dismissive hand in his direction, expression focused and determined as she moved to fiddle with the straw dispenser. "All I'm saying is it's probably not as easy as it appears. Plus I think you'd look rather cute in the uniform."

All eyes were drawn back to the television screen as the umpire let out a boisterous "Strike two."

Most of what I'd known about baseball, I'd learned during my time employed at the stadium. Technical, things like pitch types, base stealing, field positions. I didn't have the foggiest idea about the kind of skill one needed to posses or the amount of determination, will and sacrifice it took to play the sport. I didn't know what exactly made someone a great baseball player, but I was sure whatever it was, Axel Sommers, number 8 and shortstop for the Twilight Town Tigers, did not have it.

He was skinny as a rail, and I was convinced, had he ever managed to hit a ninety-five mph fastball, his lithe arms would snap clean off. He hadn't done much of note since the summer began, and watching his batting average plummet whenever he stepped up to the plate was painful. So, it wasn't much of a surprise when, after three straight swings and misses, Axel was slumping back towards the dugout.

"Told ya!" Xigbar boasted.

* * *

 

At the end of the day, I was torn between hanging around for a bit and getting home as soon as possible. Exhausted as I was, heading back to my tiny apartment alone with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company somehow held less appeal than cleaning. Kairi and Xigbar's animated voices drifting from the kitchen were almost soothing as Naminé and I worked in silence up front.

"Man! We totally could have won that game." Demyx bounded towards the stand. Zexion, sans the tiger costume, trailed behind him, and I froze, unsure of how to react.

"They were down by eight runs in the final inning," Zexion said, as the duo reached the counter. "It was a lost cause."

"Oh, ye of little faith," Demyx clapped his friend on the back. "The baseball God's work in mysterious ways!"

Naminé looked back at me before running out to greet our coworkers. Demyx slipped an arm around Zexion's shoulders, and I couldn't help but stare.

"So..." Demyx gave the mascot's arm a firm squeeze before letting his own fall to his side. "Roxas, do you need a ride home?"

"Oh...uh..." Shaking my head, I dropped the rag I'd been wringing around my fingers into a bucket at my feet. I glanced at Zexion out of the corner of my eye. He and Naminé were chattering about something I couldn't hear. Clearing my throat, I looked back to Demyx. "Sure...yeah. Sure."

He watched me for a moment, hesitant. "Ok, then," he said, giving me a thumbs up. "Cool."

He walked back over to Zexion and Naminé as Kiari came flying out of kitchen. She hurdled over the counter and nearly tackled Demyx to the ground when she wrapped her arms around him.

I kicked a stray spoon under one of the kitchen's stoves before hanging my apron over the hook on the back wall. Ignoring the aching in my chest as I listened to my coworkers laugh among themselves, I pulled the visor from from my unruly blonde hair and hopped onto the counter.

"Guys!"

I'd only draped one leg over when the voice called out, and I raised my head to see Cid ambling down the hall, approaching the stand with four uniform clad baseball players in tow.

"How are ya'll doing on this fine afternoon?" He greeted, coming to a halt before us. He grinned from ear to ear as I remained awkwardly straddling the counter. "I know, I know. This has been a long time coming, and you guys have been doing such wonderful jobs that I decided it was about time for a treat."

He stepped aside, arm outstretched towards the four baseball players, as if unveiling a prize we'd just won.

"Meet, well, some of your Twilight Town Tigers."

Four pairs of eyes stared blankly at the group of us as Demyx waved and bounced on his toes, face brimming with excitement.

"Pretty sure you already know these guys' names and all, but I'm gonna go ahead and properly introduce 'em," Cid said, slapping the guy directly to his right on the shoulder. "This fellow right here is Cloud Strife– plays left field."

Cloud nodded across the way, his perfect, blonde spikes bouncing in tandem. Toned biceps peaked out from beneath sleeves of a vibrant orange Tiger's jersey, muscles flexing as he shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of worn uniform pants. His jaw remained set, face a stoic mask as my coworkers stumbled over their words in greeting.

"This handsome dude over here," Cid paused to chortle at the eye roll given by the next guy in line, "is our catcher, Riku Farron."

Riku's aquamarine eyes peered at us through wisps of silver bangs, one corner of his lips raised in a lopsided smirk.

"'Sup," he said, twirling a baseball mitt around one finger.

"And, of course, there's the star pitcher of the Tigers, Marluxia Atchison." Cid pointed at the man standing further down the line.

Several strands of Pink, shoulder-length hair fell into his face as Marluxia's eyes roamed the entire length of Kairi's slender form. From the curve of her lips to blue painted fingernails, no single inch of her body had been left untouched by his predatory gaze. Naminé fiddled with a ring around her finger, eyes glued to her feet, as Marluxia continued to ignore everyone else in favor of our redheaded coworker.

"Well, there ya go," Cid said, interrupting an atmosphere that had turned oddly tense. "Feel free to—"

"Hey, wait just a damn minute!" a voice at the very end called out. Cid sighed.

"I was hoping to spare ya'll from this one, but he insisted on tagging along." There was a melodramatic gasp, and Marluxia tore his eyes away from Kairi long enough to share hearty laugh with Riku. "Last but not least, this is our shortstop, Axel Sommers."

When I turned to the man in question, our eyes locked, blue into striking green, and my heart skipped a beat. I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat, breathing no longer automatic as everything faded away until all I could focus on were two diamond-shaped tattoos beneath impossibly green eyes.

How? How had I never noticed those before? How had I never noticed those eyes? Even hidden beneath the shadows of a baseball cap or hundreds of feet away on the other side of a camera lens, those eyes would surely still be shining.

"You might want to remember that name," Axel said, lips curved into a suggestive grin, and my world tilted on it's axis.

"Wha-" I squawked out, breath hitching in my throat as I lost my balance and toppled backwards off the counter. Limbs flailing about in a pathetic attempt to stay upright, I hit the hard, concrete floor, with a dull thump. There were a few startled gasps, and I heard Naminé cry out, followed by, several pairs of rapid footsteps and the sound of a door swinging open and hitting the wall with a crack.

Wrenching my eyes shut, I ignored the pounding in my skull and wished on all the stars that weren't yet visible in the afternoon sky or from beneath the stadium's roof that I could somehow turn back time.

After all, the day had begun like any other.


	2. Chapter 2

Time slowed as I remained sprawled across a floor that hadn't been properly scrubbed in months, visions of red hair, of a piercing emerald gaze and the angular curve of Axel's jaw somehow rendering me immobile. Staring at a french fry that lay forgotten underneath one of the stoves, I listened as the rumbling sound of footsteps drew ever nearer. Naminé dropped to her knees beside me, her fingers brushing against my cheek. My eyelids fluttered shut with the gentle touch, and I was almost able to forget. Kairi had draped herself over the blonde's shoulder by the time I opened my eyes again, her brows knitted together as she watched my every move.

"Are you alright? That fall looked nasty," Naminé said, brushing an errant strand of hair from my face.

I pressed a palm to my throbbing temple, though I doubted it had anything to do with the actual fall. Kairi leapt to her feet with a gasp, eyes darting across the room..

"It's his head," she said, hands balling into loose fists as the sounds of laughter and hushed whispers drifted over. "Someone should call an ambulance."

"No!" I sat upright, screwing my eyes shut as the room began to spin. "No, I'm fine. Really."

Naminé ran a gentle hand down the length of my spine, and I shrugged her off as Cid called out from somewhere beyond the counter.

"Everything alright back there? Roxas ain't dead, is he?" There was an amused lilt to his voice, and I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole. It came as only a small relief that he, Axel and the rest of the Tigers remained hidden from view.

"He's fine!" Demyx shouted, hands clinging to the edge of the counter as he leaned over the surface and beamed down at me. "That was hi-larious, Roxas!"

Lips pursing, I struggled to my feet and dusted quite a few weeks worth or dirt, crumbs and shit off of my already soiled uniform. Feeling the burn of several curious gazes, I ran a hand through my unkempt hair and trudged back into the hall, ready to get the hell out of there. Riku and Marluxia were huddled together, casting derisive glances at me as I came to a stop beside Zexion. My gaze flicked to the floor, to the exit sign blinking above the door at the far end of the hall, to the cracks lining the wall at my side, anywhere but the group of men standing before me.

"So, you were trying to say something be...befo..." Riku dissolved into unabashed giggles, doubling over and clutching at his sides. He latched onto Cloud's bicep to keep from collapsing to the floor. "I...I wish Zack...had...had been here," he gasped out between bouts of laughter.

"It was nothing," I answered through gritted teeth to nobody in particular, an urge stronger than any will I possessed drawing my attention back to the Tiger's shortstop.

Axel was propped against the wall, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at thin lips as he watched Riku wipe tears of mirth from his cheeks. He tossed a ratty, old baseball back and forth between his hands, jersey unbuttoned far enough to reveal a form-fitting undershirt. His orange socks had fallen in bunches around crossed ankles, and once pristine, white uniform pants were caked in red dirt.

"Sadly, work is still callin' my name, so I gotta get moving." Cid's words barely registered as I watched Axel stretch both arms high above his head, back arching. The baseball fell from his grasp, bouncing across the floor and coming to a halt against the tips of my worn sneakers. "And Roxas?"

Axel 's eyes again met mine, and my knees quaked with the urge to run. It was all so new, so foreign, and nothing made any sense. Before we'd come face to face, Axel had been nothing more to me than a terrible baseball player, but the attention he offered sent adrenaline pumping through my veins like never before, exhilarating and terrifying all the same. Nobody looked at me quite the way he had, and I found myself craving more.

"Don't go dying on me, son." Cid said, bringing my attention back to him. "Replacin' ya would just be too much work."

As he disappeared around the corner, the hall settled into awkward silence. Riku's excessive cackling had long since transformed into shallow, unsteady gasps, and Marluxia's gaze returned to Kairi as she leaned against the wall, typing out another rapid message on her phone. Naminé bit at her fingernails, stealing curt glances at the Tigers' star pitcher and averting her eyes when he inched closer to the unsuspecting redhead.

"Hey," he drawled, fingers dancing along Kairi's forearm. Her head jerked up, and she let out a shriek that echoed down the hall. The phone fell from her clutches, skittering across the cement, and Marluxia reared back as the girl leveled him with a glare.

"What the hell?" She scrambled after the device, turned it over and over in her hands, eyes scanning every square inch before she thrust it in the pitcher's face "Are you crazy?! This is an iphone 6!"

"I apologize," Marluxia said, raising his hands in defeat. There was a lewd gleam behind his eyes that made my stomach twist, and I regretted ever eating that greasy burger for lunch. "I only wanted to tell you how absolutely exquisite I think you are."

"Oh, Yeah? Well-" She paused, mouth hanging open for a moment before her expression softened. Kairi flipped several strands of red hair over her shoulder and batted her eyelashes. "Wait. Exquisite, you say?"

I rolled my eyes, and caught sight of Naminé. Her head was bowed, lips a thin, straight line where I'd only ever seen a smile. Something within me stirred as her chest quickly rose and fell, the tiniest sob escaping.

It wasn't until Kairi let out a sting of obnoxious giggles that I caught myself reaching out for Naminé. Hand poised just above her back, I froze. What the hell was I doing? Without a word, she ducked under my outstretched arm and spun on her heels. Heads swerved to watch as she made a mad dash for the exit, but no one said a thing.

"As much as I'd like to stick around and see if Marluxia gets it in." Riku broke the silence, making a rude gesture with his hands and throwing a smirk in the direction of a teammate who was far too busy whispering in Kairi's ear to notice. He glimpsed down the hall as the door fell shut with a clang before speaking again. "This is just too much excitement for me. Plus, I got better things to do." He reached over to ruffle my hair and snorted when I smacked his hand away. "And thanks for the laugh, kid"

"Eh, don't pay him any mind." Axel sauntered over as his teammate turned the corner. Leaning forward so we were level with one another, his eyes searched my own and pinned me where I stood. He bared his teeth in the most alluring grin I'd ever seen and knelt down to scoop up the long forgotten baseball at my feet. "Once you get to know Riku, he won't seem like such an arrogant bastard. Kinda like ol' stick-in-the-mud Cloud over here. I promise he's not always this boring. Ain't that right?"

Axel flicked one of Cloud's spikes, earning a sidelong glance from the outfielder. Cloud stepped to the side, putting a few inches of distance between himself and the shortstop as Axel tried to wrap an arm around his shoulders.

"I actually wanted to get some extra practice in today. Would you care to join me?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Axel scoffed and looked down as he toed a baseball cleat back and forth across the floor.

"Suit yourself." Cloud shrugged, stuffed his hands back in his pockets and brushed past Axel with a subtle glance.

"You ready to go?" Demyx nudged me in the ribs, and I inclined my head only to notice the empty spaces where Kairi and Marluxia once stood. The prospect of them leaving together both sickened and thrilled me. Kairi finding someone else besides my brother to sink her claws into was the dream, even if it meant Naminé got caught in the crossfire.

"I'm gonna drop Zex off, too. Do you mind?" Demyx asked, beckoning me back to reality, and I glanced between the two of them. Thoughts of their supposed romance and the feeling of Axel's eyes boring into my back left my mind an absolute blank, so I just stood there, gaping like a fish.

"Earth to Roxas," Demyx rocked forward on his toes, snapping a finger in my face. "Are you good with me dropping Zexion off first?"

"Uh, yeah, it's cool," I said, making the mistake of looking at Axel. His back was pressed flat against the wall as he watched with a smirk.

"Let's get moving then," Demyx's voice reached my ears from somewhere in the far off distance, as I was unable to pry my gaze from the shortstop.

"Actually, you know what? I forgot something." The lie came tumbling forth with a practiced ease, though I felt as if someone else were controlling my mouth. "I'll just catch up with you guys outside."

Demyx grumbled an affirmative response before dragging Zexion through the door, and then Axel and I were utterly alone.

"Soooo, what did you forget?" Axel arched an eyebrow, as I stood stock-still, trying and failing to comprehend his simple question.

"What?" I was unable to form a coherent thought, let alone a sentence to speak aloud. My mind had failed me, and I wanted nothing more than to walk right through the door and into oncoming traffic. What had I gotten myself into?

"How cute."

My mouth and brain worked uselessly for another agonizing moment. "What?"

Axel laughed at me, before bending down to fix his socks. "You have quite a way with words, don't ya?"

"I uh..." My feet remained glued to the floor, as exhilaration turned to annoyance that bubbled through my veins. "Don't act like you know me," I all but snapped.

"So, you forgot something?" Axel asked, ignoring the outburst and rolling that stupid baseball around the palm of his hand. I wanted to wipe the alluring grin off of his face, but instead I was forced to look away. My heart beating rhythmically against my chest was making it hard to stay angry, and God, I wanted to, because anxiety was as unfamiliar as the man standing across from me, but Anger? Anger and I had a history.

Clearing my throat, I walked over to the stand, scanning the small area for any kind of excuse. Seconds felt like hours as I stood there, willing my hands to stop trembling and trying to call up that small bit of agitation I'd felt for a few seconds earlier. There was nothing, absolutely no plausible reason why I stayed behind. I couldn't admit that to Axel, though (or even myself, at the time) so I grabbed one of Kairi's precious, plastic spoons from the container and spun back around.

"This." I lifted the utensil and tapped it against my palm. "I needed this."

"A spoon...?" Axel's eyes narrowed as he pushed away from the wall. His grin transformed into something a bit more foreboding, and all I could do was rest against the counter and brace myself.

"As I thought. You stayed for me, didn't ya?" One of the socks fell back down around his ankle as he closed the distance between us, cleats clinking against the concrete. He snickered, and my blood ran hot then cold then hot again. "Hey, it happens," He shrugged. "I am pretty irresistible, after all."

He stared down at me, and I bit the inside of my cheek, wracking my brain for something clever or cunning to say, for anything I could throw in his face.

"Why are you always staring at me?" The question slipped from my tongue before I thought it through, and there was no going back. Axel cocked his head, face scrunching in a way that had me clutching the spoon in my hand almost to it's breaking point.

"Excuse me? Always staring at you?" He bent forward, exemplifying the difference in our heights, a hand cupped to his ear. "Surely, I misunderstood, because I hardly know you. We literally just met, so there's no way I could always be doing anything to you"

"But y-you...you..."

I couldn't recall the last time I'd been engaged in an extended conversation of my own free will with someone that wasn't my brother, and it showed. While Axel knew exactly what to say and oozed charisma with every spoken word, I faltered, stumbling over simple sentences and the thoughts racing through my mind. It was discouraging, and maddening, and I could have walked away right there. I could have stomped off towards Demyx's old beater and headed home, but the urge to flee had vanished, taking with it the nagging voice in the back of my head, the constant reminder that I was worthless and didn't belong.

"You told me to remember your name," I finally declared, standing a little taller as I crossed my arms over my chest. Confidence bloomed as it hadn't in so long, and I stared Axel straight in the eye. For a brief moment, my internal struggles ceased to exist, and I hadn't even realized it until one caustic snort later.

"Kid. Roxas. C'mon. I say that to Everyone," Axel said, rising back up to his full height and casting me in his shadow. "It didn't mean anything."

The words reverberated inside my skull, as I crashed back down to reality so hard I swear the floor splintered beneath my feet.

"I'm not a kid," I mumbled for lack of anything better to say and picked at the hem of my uniform shirt.

Axel studied me for a brief second, expression sobering for the first time all afternoon. He offered a crooked smile that did little ease the shame washing over me, and ruffled my hair as he passed by, as if I were nothing more than his little brother.

"You're cute," he said, and I resisted the desire to drop to my knees and stop breathing. Too exhausted to be anything but numb, I simply watched him go, the exit sign flickering one last time as the door fell shut behind him.

* * *

 

Rays from the late afternoon sun glinted off windshields of the few cars left in the parking lot when I caught sight of Demyx and Zexion chatting it up with Larxene. The obvious course of action was to wait in the shadows until they parted ways. Slipping the mask back on and faking my way through an entire car ride was going to be difficult enough without the addition of Larxene. We'd only traded niceties a couple times over the previous month, but I'd heard horror stories of her cruelty and taunting. She worked in the ticket booth with Demyx, so maybe he saw something in her that no one else had, or maybe he just needed to stay on her good side.

Once Larxene was out of sight, I jogged to catch up with my coworkers.

"Sorry it took me so long."

"Ain't no thing," Demyx shrugged, digging through his pockets and yanking out a set of car keys. "Larxene actually caught us, so it's not like you kept us waiting."

"Oh." My thoughts were still back in the stadium with Axel, so interest in anything Demyx had to say was hard to conjure.

"She's doing well," Demyx said, as if I'd asked or even cared. "Kept talking about some new man in her life but wouldn't tell us who it was. So, you know, that was kind of annoying."

Zexion snorted. "He works here, so I'm sure we could figure it out with a bit of sleuthing."

"I bet it's Cid," Demyx said, as he and Zexion converged in front of me. "She seems the type to like 'em half-dead and rolling in dough."

Zexion gagged as we halted next to a vehicle that had clearly been built before any of us were born. Missing at least two of its four hubcaps, and rusted in various spots on the dull painted frame, Demyx's car left much to be desired. Jamming the key into the lock, the driver's side door opened with an elongated groan. Demyx hopped in, jostling a pair of fluffy dice and no less than three air fresheners that hung over the rear view mirror. He reached across to manually unlock the passengers side and one of the back doors before sticking the key in the ignition. Revving the engine a few times, tongue peaking out from the corner of his mouth, the old Buick finally puttered to life.

"Hop in, guys!" He beamed, opening and slamming the door until it clicked into place.

Weeks of being my brother's only passenger had me reaching for the half-broken handle of the front door. It wasn't until I glanced at Zexion that I took a step back, fingertips brushing against the blistering metal.

"Sorry."

Zexion blinked, hip resting against the hood of the car. "What for?"

"Um, well, I thought you'd... Well, you and Demyx, that is-" Zexion pulled at the antennae pressed against his side, and I watched the foam Micky Mouse head on the top wiggle back and forth. "Never mind," I said, as I opened the back door with little struggle and retreated inside the scorching car.

"We're gonna have to roll the windows down, guys. Air conditioner doesn't work," Demyx said, as Zexion climbed inside. "And Roxas you might want to scoot to the other side. That window doesn't open."

I cast a glance at said window, noticing several long pieces of duct tape secured around its edges. Moving to sit behind the driver, I slouched, skin already sticking to the fabric of the seat. If I didn't buckle up there was a slight chance I'd be put out of my misery. I decided to risk it.

"Does anything in this car work properly?" Zexion asked. Demyx backed out of the parking spot, and their voices faded from my consciousness.

Images of the city I'd been born in, obscured only by a smudged window I hadn't bothered to roll down, flashed by as Demyx pulled the car out onto the bustling street. The same old, Twilight Town buildings, and houses and trees, the same old people going about their same, old lives greeted me as I rested my head against the door, teeth clattering together with every bump and pothole in the road. My thoughts drifted from Axel, to how I should have known better, how I did know better, to Zexion and Demyx talking among themselves up front, as if I wasn't even there.

The rattling of every inch of that poor car as it sped down the street, along with wind whipping at violent speeds through open windows made it near impossible to hear anything. But from the blinding grin that never left Demyx's lips to the way Zexion's eyes were glued to the blonde, it was easy to surmise that they enjoyed each other's company. Love, though? I wasn't sure.

Outside, monotonous scenery continued to whiz past, as we approached Bodhum Avenue, and my heart dropped to my stomach. Pulling out my cellphone, I checked for texts or messages that I knew in my heart of hearts weren't there. It was my fault. I was the one who'd become withdrawn, who declined offers to hang out, who forced my brother to lie for me when I just didn't have the energy to get out of bed or explain. The phone had stopped ringing, texts coming in with much less frequency than before, until my friends and I had all but become strangers. Graduation hadn't made the strain on our already weakened friendships any easier, and if I didn't make an effort before the start of autumn and college life, I knew that might have been the end.

A giggle brought me back to the present, and I looked up to see Zexion covering his upturned mouth with the back of a hand, gaze averted to the window at his side. Demyx gripped the steering wheel, his body trembling with suppressed laughter.

The car veered off onto Garden Lane, and Zexion reached for his messenger bag and pulled it into his lap, hand poised over the seat belt buckle. Quaint houses identical in build, but each painted a different tropical color, sat side by side, some with their curtains open wide enough to catch a glimpse of a family settling down for dinner, or a television flicking through channels. Kids were running about outside, their delighted screams ringing in my ears as they salvaged the last bits of light filtering in through leaves of the palm trees that lined both sides of the road. People were out walking their dogs, cooking on the grill, greeting neighbors, arriving home from work, or school, or the grocery store with several bags balanced on their arms, and just living another normal day.

It stung.

Demyx slowed the car as a few children, caught up in their game of tag, crossed in front of us.

"Uh, hey," I spoke for the first time in what felt like decades. Zexion inclined his head at the sound of my raspy voice, and I cleared my throat before continuing. "What's the deal with you two?"

"Deal?" Zexion shouldered his messenger bag, unhooking his seat belt as Demyx pulled the car closer to the curb.

"Yeah. You and Demyx." Words fell from my lips of their own accord, and I wasn't sure why I wanted to know or even cared about what was going on between my two coworkers. Try as I might, sitting there in the backseat of a car that smelled vaguely of sweat and exhaust fumes, I couldn't think of a single good reason, but I pressed on.

"Are you two together?" Silence reigned, and Demyx squirmed in his seat. "Together, together, I mean. Like boy..friends?"

Demyx slammed on the brakes, the car skidding a few feet down paved concrete road and almost wiping out someone's mailbox. Zexion, without a seat belt to hold him in place, lurched forward with a yelp and almost collided face first with the dashboard. If we'd been going any faster, he might have been hurled through the windshield. I suffered a similar fate, my body making contact with the back of the driver's seat. Demyx clutched at his chest, eyes unfocused as he stared straight ahead, his shoulders rising and falling as his breaths came in shuddering gasps. Without the puttering of the engine, the atmosphere dissolved into uncomfortable silence, and I knew I'd made the absolute wrong decision.

Zexion fumbled with the handle for a good, solid minute before remembering to unlock the door, and all but tumbled out of the car before sprinting up his driveway. He slammed the front door without so much as a wave goodbye. Seconds ticked by, tension spreading thick throughout the interior of the car before I decided to break the awkward silence.

"Sorry." That didn't really cover it, I figured, but it was the best I could do. Well, the best I was willing to do.

Demyx let out a bark of humorless laughter, lips stretched in a tight smile that didn't quite erase the worry from his face.

"For what?" His voice sounded strained and not at all what I'd come to expect from someone who thrived around people. As we pulled away from the curb outside Zexion's house, he jutted a thumb towards the passengers seat, eyes set dead ahead.. "You can climb up here if you want."

"Nah," I said, turning to watch sea green shutters and a gray, tiled roof fade into the distance.

"I hope you weren't hurt when I..." Demyx trailed off, as he pulled the car back onto the highway. Our eyes met in the rear view mirror. "Please tell me you're okay."

Forcing a smile upon my face, I spoke a lie so practiced it had become second nature.

"I'm fine."

* * *

 

Pressing my forehead against the wooden door frame, I waited for the sputtering sounds of Demyx's broken-down Buick to fade before entering my apartment. Fading light was peaking through parted blinds, bathing my cluttered living room in colors of orange and magenta, and it took the last vestiges of strength I had buried deep within to trudge even a few steps over and belly flop onto the sofa. Kicking a pile of at least two weeks worth of mail to the carpet, I pressed my face into an aged quilt that was draped over the cushions. Inhaling the mingling scents of tobacco and vanilla, I remembered weekends at my Grandmother's, when smiles were effortless and licking cookie batter out of a bowl with my brother was the pinnacle of joy.

A vibration against my thigh interrupted the trip down memory lane. Wriggling around to dislodge the phone from my pocket, I relished the sense of relief the number upon the screen brought forth.

"Hey," I said, pressing the phone to my ear.

"Roxas?" The voice sounded only a bit less weary than my own.

"Duh." I rolled my eyes, turning on my side and attempting to find a more comfortable position on that hand-me-down sofa. The events of the day had apparently left my body a bit worse for wear. "Who else would be answering my phone?"

There were sounds of shuffling and a female voice in the background asking something about ice cream. "You never know."

"Sora, get real." My empty stomach rumbled in a way I was sure could have been heard over the line, if my brother hadn't been so distracted by whatever was happening on his end. I hadn't eaten for hours.

"How was work?"

"The same." My head swam as I rose to my feet and staggered into the kitchen, only to find a carton of expired milk and a gallon of water in an otherwise barren refrigerator.

"Wait, wait!" Sora said. "Let me translate that into Roxas speak." He paused for a moment, and I imagined him scratching at his chin, expression determined as if he had to think real hard about the answer. "Got it! Work sucked."

"And we have a winner." My lips quirked as Sora let out a whoop. Opening the cupboard above the stove, I grabbed the only edible substance in my entire kitchen: a package of Ramen noodles. Sora was my saving grace in a lot of ways, not the least of which was that he single-handedly kept my cupboards stocked with food by either gentle reminders or forceful shopping trips.

"Mmm-hmm, I know..." There was more background noise, another garbled question posed by someone and my brother grunting in what I assumed was approval. "I know my brother. I surely do! And because I know that knuckle-head so well, I'm certain something, no matter how insignificant, happened that is worth mentioning. Especially, since I'm in desperate need of distraction."

A spluttering protest sounded out before voices became muffled. Wedging the phone between my cheek and shoulder, I grabbed a pan from atop my stove, filled it with water and turned the burner on. "Okay, you got me," I said, once the noises on the other end of the line ceased. "Something did happen today."

"Ha! Tell me!"

"Cid introduced us to a few members of the team." My stomach churned, and not just from near starvation, as unwelcome visions of facial tattoos and bright orange baseball jerseys flashed before my eyes. Ripping open the package of noodles and almost knocking my toaster to the floor, I heaved a sigh and focused on the rumble of my brother's voice.

"Of course, the one day I'm not there, everything happens," Sora said, and I just knew he was pouting. "Why does the world hate me so?"

"Because you don't know how to brush your teeth."

"I'll have you know that I have zero cavities, my dear brother. Zilch. Nada!" I watched the pan for a moment, willing the water inside to boil, as my brother continued his tirade. "It was a routine dentist check-up, Roxy, and I do not appreciate the assumption that my teeth are anything but glorious! Perfect, even! You kno-"

"You didn't miss anything," I said, cutting my brother's words short. The water had begun bubbling, so I dumped the entire package of noodles into the pan. "Unless you count Marluxia lusting after Kairi."

"Marluxia and Ka-!?" The shout died in Sora's throat, then there was a high-pitched screech in the background and what sounded like silverware clattering to a tiled floor. Just what the hell was going on over there? "I knew there was something you weren't telling me, Kairi!"

Kairi. Of course. I should have known.

The two of them bickered back and forth for a minute, voices once again muffled, as I set out on a quest to find a bowl for my soup. Dishes were stacked a mile high in my sink, and I wasn't about to climb that mountain, so I settled for eating directly from the pan.

"Ahem," Sora's voice crackled in my ear again. "Sorry about that small interruption."

"Kairi's there." It wasn't a question, but Sora hmm'd in response. I couldn't stop myself from wondering just what the girl had told my brother about our meeting with the team. Sora would never be the first to mention it, but I was certain he'd been filled in on every last detail of my public humiliation. "Naminé was pretty upset about the whole thing."

"Ha, yeah. Well, that girl's got it bad," Sora said. "Kairi says it was nothing, though. She'll clear it up on Monday."

"Oh." I dug a spoon out from the bottom of my silverware drawer and stood for a moment, considering the consequences of dumping the entire pan of unappetizing soup in the trash and just going to bed hungry.

"I'm still bummed I missed such an exciting day." Sora's voice pulled me back, and I stepped over to the stove.

"It wasn't exciting," I said, slurping a few spoonfuls of noodles before setting the pan off to the side. "And you'd be bummed even if it you missed yet another boring-as-shit day at the lovely Twilight Town Stadium."

"It's a good job, Roxas." Sora said, voice lacking any of the merriment it held moments before, and my throat tightened. I didn't want the conversation veering down roads I could not, and would not, travel. My brother sighed, sounding for all the world like he was tired of my shit. And who could blame him?

"Just, maybe... try to appreciate it? Huh? I promise you, baby brother, things are not as bad as they seem."

Finger hovering over 'end call' button, I blinked away the sting behind my eyes. "Sure, Sora," I croaked out, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Well, Roxy, I really should be hanging up. Kairi will execute me if I let this ice cream cone melt and drip all over the carpet," Sora said, tone cheerful and previous conversation all but forgotten as my head rested against the cupboards with a heavy thump. "Maybe we'll do something this weekend while the team is out of town?"

"Maybe." There hadn't been any intention on my part to face the world for the next three days. I knew it. Sora knew it. We'd been there, done that so many times before, but it didn't stop him from asking, which was more than could be said for most people in my life.

"I love you."

Sora never gave up on me. Even when I'd given up on myself.

"I know."


End file.
